Arlene Satchell, Sun Sentine

Dec. 7, 2011

Gibson Guitar Corp. has acquired Deerfield Beach-based Stanton Group a longtime provider of audio products for an undisclosed sum, Gibson announced Monday.

Located at 772 S. Military Trail, Stanton has three divisions: KRK Systems a monitor and control room solutions supplier; Cerwin-Vega a loudspeaker maker and distributor and Stanton DJ which designs and makes audio products for disc jockeys.

The Stanton companies will operate as Gibson Pro Audio and will be based in Nashville, Tenn., Gibson's hometown.

Deerfield Beach operations, which include information technology, finance and customer service will wind down within six months and move to Nashville, Stanton Chief Executive Officer Timothy Dorwart said Tuesday.

Some of its 30 employees were offered positions in Tennessee, while others received severance packages, Dorwart said.

The Stanton purchase will enable Gibson, which makes guitars, mandolins and banjos, to expand its reach and brand recognition beyond the musical instrument category.

"This new division is perfectly aligned with our core," Gibson Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Henry Juszkiewicz said in a statement. "It expands our reach to fellow music lovers and allows us access to 20 in 20 consumers instead of the one in 20 we currently hit."